


It's You, It Always Has Been

by nightberrypearl



Series: Twohyun Week 2018 - @nightberrypearl [6]
Category: NU'EST
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-06
Updated: 2018-10-06
Packaged: 2019-07-25 15:10:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16200074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nightberrypearl/pseuds/nightberrypearl
Summary: Jonghyun wakes up on his 18th birthday with the words that his soulmate had chosen for him written on his forearm.For Twohyun Week, Day 6: Galaxy - Daybreak Anniversary





	It's You, It Always Has Been

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't think I'd be able to post anything for day 6 until maybe 3 days ago, so forgive me if this isn't quite up to scratch but honestly I'm so brain dead, I don't have any ideas anymore.

On the morning of Jonghyun’s 18th birthday, when he woke up, he didn’t know if he wanted to open his eyes or not. An 18th birthday was a big deal, an important date, and Jonghyun didn’t know if he was ready for everything that came with turning 18.

Jonghyun didn’t know if he was ready to get his words.

Every person, at the age of 18, got their words. Their message from their soulmate inscribed on the inside of their forearm. The words could be anything, a simple message, a name and address – anything that your soulmate wanted it to be.

But in the end, it wasn’t like he could live the rest of his life with his eyes closed. Slowly, he sat up, still keeping his forearm hidden under his duvet. He just hoped that his soulmate hadn’t decided to write something crude or embarrassing to be branded permanently on his skin.

He stared at the wall in front of him as he slowly lifted his arm out from under the covers and it took him a few moments before he was able to pluck up the courage to look down at his arm. Down at his words.

He knew from the moment he saw the delicate script on his arm what it meant. There was no mistaking it. He knew who his soulmate was. The “HMH” that signed off the message would have been enough of a clue but the words that preceded the initials had been ones that he knew Minhyun had chosen. Jonghyun himself had been there when Minhyun had finally decided on the words he had wanted his soulmate to have.

_Wherever you are in the galaxy, I’ll find you. --- HMH_

Jonghyun had always believed that whoever was destined for his best friend would be a very lucky person indeed. Having grown up with Minhyun, he knew pretty much everything that there was to know about him – his obsession with cleaning, his kind heart, his sweet smile, his attentive nature – Jonghyun could go on listing the qualities Minhyun had that made him so worthy of anyone’s affection. The qualities that made Jonghyun fall for him.

He had wished for a long time that he could be Minhyun’s soulmate, but now that he knew that he was, he didn’t know how to feel. Upon seeing the words on his arm, he didn’t know if wanted to tell Minhyun immediately or not. On the one hand, he wanted to tell Minhyun right away, so that they could celebrate finding their soulmates in each other as soon as they could. He would love to see the bright smile that Minhyun would adorn as Jonghyun told him that they were destined for each other.

But a part of him was scared. Scared that Minhyun would be disappointed. It wasn’t that he thought that Minhyun didn’t like him, he knew that he did as a friend at least. But he didn’t want to tell Minhyun only to see the other struggle at hiding the disappointment in his eyes that his soulmate was just Jonghyun, something that Minhyun probably had no romantic feelings towards. There was a line between friends and lovers and perhaps Minhyun wouldn’t want to cross that with Jonghyun.

Jonghyun was startled out of his train of thought by a few sharp knocks on his bedroom door.

“Jjuuuuuuuuuuu!” Came the shout from the other side of his door.

Of course, it was Minhyun. Who else could be so loud this early in the morning? Jonghyun was surprised that Minhyun hadn’t just barrelled straight into his room to give Jonghyun a headache at whatever god-forsaken hour of the morning it was.

Quickly, he grabbed the cloth bandage that he had deliberately place on his bedside table the night before and wrapped it around his arm, covering his words. If Minhyun was going to see his words, if he was even going to let him, it was going to happen on his own terms. Once he was sure that the bandage was wrapped tight enough and covered his arm properly, he got up and pulled open his door, letting Minhyun tumble into his room as he pulled Jonghyun straight into his arms for a bone-crushing hug.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY JJUUUUUUUU!!!!!” Minhyun yelled as he spun Jonghyun around, shaking him about as if he were just a rag doll.

 Jonghyun grunted as Minhyun finally set him back down on the ground.

“Thanks, though I could have done without being flung around.” He remarked pointedly to his best friend who merely grinned at him sheepishly but without a hint of remorse.

“It’s your birthday, it was only appropriate that I greet you with a good amount of enthusiasm this morning.” Minhyun replied by way of explanation.

“It could have very nearly been my death-day with that amount of ‘enthusiasm’.”

“Stop being so dramatic and grumpy.” Minhyun chided, to which Jonghyun could only roll his eyes. 

“Forgive me for being excited that it’s my best friend’s 18th birthday.” He added and Jonghyun knew already that what Minhyun really meant was that he was excited for Jonghyun to get his words. He had always known that Minhyun was more of a romantic, he loved the idea of soulmates, that someone out there was destined to be his other half. It was because Jonghyun knew this that he was so hesitant to tell Minhyun that they were destined for each other. He didn’t want to shatter Minhyun’s fantasy of meeting some perfect stranger.

“So…” Minhyun began, and Jonghyun could already tell what the other was about to say.

“Yes, I got my words.” Jonghyun answered pre-emptively. “And no, you can’t see them.” He added, already anticipating the follow-on question.

Minhyun pouted at that.

“Awww but why? Is it weird? Is it personal? Is it embarrassing?” Minhyun questioned relentlessly. Jonghyun was about to reply when Minhyun suddenly gasped as if he’d realised something suddenly.

“Did your soulmate write a lewd pickup line on your arm that you’re too shy to show me?” He asked with wide-eyes.

“No!” Jonghyun finally managed to exclaim before Minhyun could go running off down anymore unnecessary tangents. “It’s not that, it’s just…” he trailed off, not quite knowing what to say. Minhyun waited patiently for Jonghyun to continue.

“I want to keep it a secret for a bit longer. I’ll show you eventually but for now, I want to keep them to myself, you understand right?” Jonghyun explained hesitantly. In a way, what he said wasn’t a lie. He did want to keep them a secret. Even if he hadn’t already worked out that his soulmate was currently stood not even a metre away from him in his bedroom, he would have wanted to keep it secret for a while just so that he could forget that destiny was suddenly looming over him, without the constant reminder that there was someone important missing from his life.

“Yeah, I understand.” Minhyun assured him with a smile. “But was I on the right lines though?” he asked with a sly grin.

“Right lines about what?” Jonghyun asked confusedly.

“Is there a dirty joke permanently branded on your forearm?”

Jonghyun’s only response was to whack his friend, hard, in irritation making Minhyun clutch his arm in pain as he laughed loudly at the half-hearted glare that Jonghyun threw at him.

 

\\\\\

 

After that Minhyun didn’t bother Jonghyun anymore about his words. He could tell that the taller boy was curious, but his friend was considerate enough to not badger him any further – which Jonghyun was very grateful for.

He wanted to tell Minhyun, in fact, he knew that he would have to eventually, but he just couldn’t figure out how to say it. He didn’t think that it was something he could really just slip into casual conversation as if it was nothing. Because it wasn’t just nothing. And he knew it definitely wouldn’t be nothing to Minhyun, who out of the two of them, had always been more invested in soulmates – hence why Minhyun had spent so long thinking of what he wanted to write on his soulmate. Though Jonghyun supposed that this was a good thing, at least it meant that he had an easy time working out that his soulmate was Minhyun.  

But as for Jonghyun himself, it wasn’t that he didn’t like the idea of soulmates, it was just that he had never given it as much thought.

Jonghyun had never thought much about the words he had wanted for his soulmate, he had always thought that the best way to go about it was to have his name written on his soulmate’s arm. Simple and effective. An address or a phone number could change and since you never knew when your soulmate would turn 18 or even where in the world they were, a time and a place to meet would be impractical and impossible to schedule.  He hadn’t really thought that the words he chose for his soulmate would have to be anything special, he was more interested in making it easy to be found.

But now… Now that he knew that his soulmate was _Minhyun_ of all people, he couldn’t help but want to put in a bit more effort. Thinking about it now, having Minhyun wake up to a plain “Kim Jonghyun” seemed anticlimactic and somewhat lacking and he didn’t want to do that to his romanticist best friend. Lucky for him that Minhyun’s birthday was after his, giving him 2 whole months to think of something meaningful that could go on Minhyun’s arm.

As time passed by and Minhyun’s birthday got closer and closer, Jonghyun grew more and more unsure of himself. Thinking of the right words was just so hard. He didn’t want to be too obvious about the feelings he already felt for Minhyun, afraid that things between them would get awkward if the feelings weren’t mutual. But at the same time, he didn’t want to be too vague and come off as if he didn’t have any feelings at all.

But just like Minhyun had, Jonghyun planned to sign off the message personally – he didn’t think he’d be able to stomach the awkward conversation of trying to explain to Minhyun that is soulmate was actually Jonghyun. No, he’d just let Minhyun know from the moment he woke up. And if Jonghyun didn’t see Minhyun at all on his birthday, well then, he supposed that would answer the question of how Minhyun felt about their situation.

 

\\\\\

 

It was the night before Minhyun’s birthday and Jonghyun lay in his bed awake and unable to sleep. The next day was the day where everything could change – for better or for worse.

He had spent much of that day with Minhyun, neither of them had had much to do and so spent the day playing games or snuggled together watching films. Being close and touchy with each other wasn’t new for either of them – in fact Minhyun seemed to always cling to Jonghyun. Usually it made Jonghyun feel warm and comforted but on that day, all he could think was that it might be the last time Minhyun held him like that, so close to him. He seriously doubted that Minhyun would keep it up knowing that Jonghyun had feelings for him and if those feelings weren’t reciprocated.

If Minhyun had noticed how unusually tense Jonghyun had been, he didn’t say anything. If he had noticed any of Jonghyun’s weird moments where he blanked out clutching his forearm where his words were inscribed, or the times when he became particularly pensive, he didn’t say anything.  

With his mind awash with the restless current of nervousness, it wasn’t until the small hours of the morning that Jonghyun was finally able to fall asleep.

 

\\\\\

 

Jonghyun woke up the next day after a fitful sleep. The first thing he registered was the sound of frantic knocking on his door. It took him a few moments to sit up and chase away the grogginess that came from being a restless sleep and a sudden loud wake-up call.

Still in his rather half-asleep state, he dragged himself towards his door and flung it wide open, a glare already on his face ready to be directed at his noisy visitor. But the glare melted into a look of shock and panic as his gaze settled upon Minhyun standing in his doorway, fist raised and poised to knock on a door that was no longer before him.

They stood before each other, just staring. Jonghyun’s mind was running at a mile a minute as he debated whether or not he should just slam the door and go back to his bed and hide or if he should let Minhyun say his bit about not feeling the same before running away to go wallow in self-pity.

Jonghyun watched as Minhyun’s Adam’s apple bobbed noticeably as the other swallowed and continued to stare at Jonghyun. The taller boy seemed to want to say something but if the hesitation painted so clearly on his face was anything to go by, he didn’t know how to put his thoughts into words.

“It’s you, isn’t it?” Minhyun finally managed to ask.

With his words stuck in his throat, all Jonghyun could do was nod minutely, just enough for Minhyun to catch the movement. And then, before he even could realise what was happening, Minhyun had pulled Jonghyun into a tight hug, reminiscent of the one he had given Jonghyun two months ago on his birthday. Minhyun’s nose brushed against Jonghyun’s ear as the taller boy curled around him to completely surround Jonghyun with his own warmth. Jonghyun felt himself tense in shock but when he heard the words “I’m so glad it’s you” repeatedly whispered into his hair like a mantra, he felt himself relax into Minhyun’s arms and reciprocate the hug as the weight was lifted from his chest – the same weight that had been dragging him down for the past two months.

As he came to accept that perhaps he had been too hasty to assume that Minhyun wouldn’t feel the same way about him, he closed his eyes and leant his head forward to cushion his head in the crook of Minhyun’s neck, letting all of the panic that had been threatening to consume him be chased away by the feeling of Minhyun’s breaths against his cheek, and familiar hands tangling in his hair and tightly gripping his waist.

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” Minhyun asked as he pulled back to look Jonghyun in the eyes as his hands came up cradle Jonghyun’s cheeks.

“I didn’t know how to,” Jonghyun mumbled, averting his gaze out of shame, “and I didn’t know if you would be happy that it was me all along.”

Out of the corner of his eyes, Jonghyun saw the way Minhyun’s face screwed up in confusion and his eyebrows furrowed as he took in Jonghyun’s words.

Minhyun began to coax Jonghyun to look back at him, persistently moving back into Jonghyun’s line of sight every time he averted his gaze until eventually Jonghyun gave up and met Minhyun’s meaningful look.

“I’m so happy that it’s you, Jju-yah.” Minhyun said with an air of certainty that sent Jonghyun’s heart thumping madly in his chest. “I’ve wished for a long time that it would be you. And now I know that it is.”

Jonghyun felt himself flush under the intensity of Minhyun’s glare.

“I’ve always hoped that it would be you as well.” Jonghyun whispered timidly.

He watched in fascination as Minhyun’s face lit up instantaneously with a blinding smile. It was a smile always sent Jonghyun’s heart fluttering whenever he saw it, a smile that he hoped that Minhyun would adorn more often.

As Minhyun leaned forward and pressed a light kiss on Jonghyun’s forehead, Jonghyun felt himself grow weak at the knees and found himself clutching onto Minhyun even tighter. Then as Minhyun pulled away still with a wide grin on his face, Jonghyun didn’t doubt that he had a matching one of his own reflecting straight back at his best friend, his soulmate.

_I’ll always be right by your side --- KJH_

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Somehow I'm still here posting stuff... I'm really scraping the barrel for ideas at this point, all the wips and ideas I had before I just know that I wouldn't be able to complete in the short amount of time I have left and I don't want to do them half-heartedly. So barrel scraping it is. If I manage to finish the thing I've started for tomorrow, you'll see what I mean... I may not even manage to finish in time tomorrow - I'll try.
> 
> \\\\\
> 
> For links to other 2hyun content for this week, we're trying out best to compile it in threads on twitter, in addition to the official Twohyun Week 2018 AO3 Collection.
> 
> Link to [@twohyunweek](https://twitter.com/twohyunweek)
> 
> Find me on twitter [@nightberrypearl](https://twitter.com/nightberrypearl) or my [Curious Cat](https://curiouscat.me/nightberrypearl)


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